Setting up A WIDE1-1 FILL-IN Digipeater                     24 Jul 09
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Updated  24 Jul 09 to add Local Voice Freq Objects (at very end)
Updated   5 Feb 08
Original 18 Nov 05 

There are two very different applications of a one-hop digipeater.
One is a forced-one-hop digi such as is used in Los Angeles, CA and
is not the topic of this file.  For it, see www.aprs.org/fixingLA.txt.

The more common use of a WIDE1-1 digi is as a first-hop or fill-in
digi where existing outbound coverage for mobiles is poor.  

WIDE1-1 fill-in digis provide a way for mobiles in a dead zone to be 
able to be digipeated out without that same digipeater adding to the 
congestion elsewhere by also digipeating every other packet heard from 
everywhere else.  In otherwords, it only responds to 1st hop packets 
from mobiles and/or stations that explicitly use the WIDE1-1 hop first
in their path.  

These digis used to be called RELAY digis, but RELAY is now obsolete 
because it has no dupe-elimination process.  The WIDEn-N system 
(including WIDE1-1) on the other hand compares all packets for dupes
no matter what the path and will ignore any dupes.  Thus, in early 
2005 it was time to change all RELAY-only digis over to WIDE1-1 only.

To use these digis, mobiles typically use the path of WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1.
This way the first hop can be done by ANY digipeater, including all of
these possible WIDE1-1 digis.  All other WIDEn-N digis also respond
to the WIDE1-1 path and so will ignore any dupes that might be
generated from multiple digi's and multiple fill-in digis hearing the
same packet.  Only one copy will be digipeaterd from all of these
full-function WIDEn-N digis.

Fortunately almost any TNC can be used as a WIDE1-1 or FILL-IN digi
because no special algorithms are used.  The TNC is set to digipeat
only packets addressed VIA "WIDE1-1" or VIA its own MYCALL.  Further
it does not ID beyond its own DIRECT range, thus, it does not add
any QRM to the network.  Also be sure to turn HID OFF so that this
TNC does not polute the spectrum with the every 10 minute HID packet
that is of no value to APRS.

IMPORTANT:  Some digis are more sophisticated than others and can
do callsign substitution such as the modern PacComm's, KPC-3+'s
and Kenwoods  In those digis the settings for a WIDE1-1 fill-in digi
are different and are listed later.  But in all simple older TNC's 
that only have one alias, then, use the following settings to make 
any TNC into a WIDE1-1 FILL-IN-DIGI:

1) Reset to factory defaults to make sure no wierd settings are in it.
2) MYCALL  CALLSIGN
3) MYALIAS WIDE1-1
4) BTEXT !DDMM.mmN1DDDMM.mmW#W1-1 any_other-comment_here
5) B E 60 (60 is 60-ten seconds (10 minutes in TAPR-2))
6) UNPROTO APNXXX   <The APNXXX identifies the type of TNC. See list)
7) HID OFF          <this is important to eliminate this useless QRM)
8) DIGI ON

Other than figuring out exactly how your TNC handles time in the
BEACON EVERY command (minutes or 10's of seconds or seconds)...
We want a 10 minute -local- beacon from all DIGI's.  They are our
lifelines and we need to know which ones are serving us.  Notice that
for a WIDE1-1 digi, the UNPROTO path has no HOPS through other digis.
This is to limit their visibility to only their coverage areaand
to minimize QRM on surrounding systems.

That is all there is to it for these older TNC's.

FOR old PACCOM TNC's WITH CALLSIGN SUBSTITUTION:
set MYA none     (available for other use if any)
set MY1 WIDE1-1 
set MY2 SAR      (to support Search and Rescue)
set MY3 TEMP1-1  (this can be used during field day)

FOR D700's & Kantronics KPC-3+'s THAT HAVE THE UIDIGI COMMAND:
set MYALIAS none (available for other use if any)
set UIDIGI ON WIDE1-1, SAR, TEMP1-1
set UITRACE TEMP, 30    <== this supports TEMPn-N for Field Day

Notice that TEMPn-N support is also encouraged in ALL TNC's that
can support it that are NOT otherwise being used as big digis.
This automatically gives us a workaround back-up digi system
built into every D700 that can be used anytime anywhere in range
of a D700, but at the same time, be3ing a capability that has
no routine impact on the existing national APRS channel.  Please
see the web age: aprs.org/TEMPn-N.html
 
One use is for Field Day, where the ARRL rules prohibit using
any existing permanent infrastructure.  But with TEMPn-N, you
can use any D700 mobile as a digi...

For all these TNC's, identify the type of TNC in the TOCALL of the
UNPROTO path using the APNxxx TOCALLS below:

  APN232 PK232
  APNMFJ if MFJ
  APNTC2 if any other TAPR-2 clone TNC
  APN3xx Kantronics KPC-3 rom versions 
  APN9xx Kantronics KPC-9612 Roms 
  APNAxx WB6ZSU's APRServe 
  APNXxx X-DIGI

If you are using any other kind of TNC, then choose an APNxxx for
it and let me know so I can add it to the list.  Thanks

Using UIVIEW HOME STATIONS:  If your station is a good one with
good RF coverage, yet no mobiles in your area can get out, then
you can enable it for WIDE1-1 digipeating too.  Setting it for
WIDE1-1 is the least harmful to our congested VHF network.  You 
must be running your TNC in KISS mode to enable the digipeater in
UI-View32.

 Go to Setup -> Digipeater Setup
 Enable Digi is checked
 UI Only is checked
 Alias substitution is checked
 WIDEn-n is -not- checked
 TRACEn-n is -not- checked
 Alias(es) has W6UUU,WIDE1-1 <substitute your callsign for W6UUU>
 Sub Alias has W6UUU <substitute your callsign for W6UUU>
 Dupe secs = 30
 Digi routes has 1=1

 Click on OK and you're done.

LOCAL FREQUENCY OBJECTS IN WIDE1-1 FILL-IN DIGIS:

Notice that these fill-in digis can also help provide mobiles with
local info on local ham radio assets.  THis can only be done in those
modern TNC's however, that have multiple BTexts or LTexts.  For example
KPC-3's or Paccomms, DIGI_NED or UIDIGI ROMS.  In those, in addition
to the 10 minute -direct- DIGI position packet, you can set up also 
the every 10 minute (direct) local VOice Repeater Object or EchoLink/
IRLP object so that travelrs can see right there on their front panel
the frequency of these important assets when the pass through.
Please see www.aprs.org/localinfo.html

Good luck,

de WB4APR, Bob